Joe Biden - a requiem for a political heavyweight?

Joe Biden has been running for president for 33 years. Pete Buttigieg was five when he started. His latest and final run now seems likely to end with defeat.

I was one of those convinced Biden, with his honesty and decency and stellar political resume, was the one to beat Donald Trump but he has clearly lost much of the mojo he once had.

I suspect the tragic death of his son had something to do with it, the aspect of that grief reflected in every line on his face. It may be a burden too far for a man who handled massive adversity and loss while in the public limelight with class and distinction.

It became clear during the debates that Joe was often pulling up lame in a frantic race for the Democratic nomination. I found myself afraid for him, hoping he would get to the end of his sentences, that he’d wake up and wallop someone, preferably Trump but it seldom happened.

But he will always have one unintended accomplishment. He will have forced Trump's impeachment because the president feared Biden so much he endangered national security to bag him.

President Donald Trump.

How silly it must look to Trump and Rudy Giuliani now that they were destined for a wild goose chase as Biden is likely never going to get the nomination as it turned out.

If he fails to watch how quick the investigation of Hunter Biden falls away. It was always political but the upshot of the Biden affair is Trump has suffered the consequences of a needless impeachment.

Perhaps It is time for Joe to step back and go to some quiet place and hug and hold his family for a while. He has much to offer as an elder statesman to whatever Democrat wins and runs for the White House but alas, barring a miracle, it will not be him going toe to toe with Trump.

More's the pity because the Biden of a dozen years ago would have trumped Trump. The son of a car salesman's sheer breadth of experience and achievement in life has been spectacular.

But the old warhorse can hardly ride to the sound of battle anymore.

Whatever happens, he deserves our appreciation and respect for a magnificent career. Whoever wins the Democratic nomination needs to draw on this inspirational man but I feel it won’t be Joe accepting the Democratic nomination in Milwaukee this summer. His time it seems has gone but I’d love to be proven wrong.